Relaxation response may reduce blood pressure by altering expression of a set of genes

To examine the extent to which advanced meditative practices might alter body metabolism and the electroencephalogram (EEG), we investigated three Tibetan Buddhist monks living in the Rumtek monastery in Sikkim, India. In a study carried out in February 1988, we found that during the practice of several different meditative practices, resting metabolism ([Vdot]O2) could be both raised (up to 61%) and lowered (down to 64%). The reduction from rest is the largest ever reported. On the […]

The authors compared characteristics of 1,012 outpatients completing a 10-week behavioral medicine intervention with 300 outpatients who dropped out. They administered the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90R) before and after the program. Patients who completed the treatment, compared with dropouts, tended to be more highly educated, married, and gainfully employed. Their pretreatment scores on the SCL-90R were significantly lower than those of the dropouts on somatization, depressi […]

Procedures for self- and hetero-hypnotic induction and for the elicitation of the relaxation response appear to be similar. Further, before experiencing hypnotic phenomena, either during a traditional or an active induction, a physiological state exists which is comparable to the relaxation response. This state is characterized, in part, by decreased heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. After the physiological changes of the relaxation response occur, the individual proce […]